13 replies to this topic

[tomsov]

OK i don't know if anyone else is like me in this or if i am just trying to beat a dead horse. i have been paralyzed for 8 months now. i have been living with my brother because he has a single story ranch house that has a zero barrier entrance that i can get in and out of on my own. i now own two wheelchairs. one that i got from my insurance and $1300 of of pocket which is a quickie q7. the second is a tilite ZRA that i got off ebay for $650. now i have always thought that possessions are almost a reflection of your self. IE the ability to customize what ever you want. back to my point. i live with my brother whom i am grateful for everyday. living in his home i needed some adaptive equipment. Primarily for using the bathroom and taking a shower. I have a shower chair and a handle that is bolted through the toilet seat so i can transfer. In my state i understand the need to have these items. what i am going to go on a rant about is why there is no way to make these items look pleasing to anyone else. yes people understand why they are there, however when i was abled i never used anything like this on the simple fact that it seemed almost "contaminated" to me. in reality, i am pissed at the fact that people have to see this. now my parents are building a useable space for me in the basement of there home. it is going to be a really nice place. a bathroom bedroom living room and kitchenette. i have discussed with them that i do NOT want any adaptive equipment put in that is not pleasing to the eye and does not look like it is in order to help me. i have made this clear with the contractors as well. it is all compliant. 36 inch doors to the bedroom and to the bathroom a pocket door from bedroom to the bathroom. that seems confusing but if you saw the basement you'd understand. now i have made a lot of requests for this area. and have been looking for items that help me and that don't look like they'd go in a hospital. what i am pissed about is you can go to medical supply stores online distributors and all you see is sterile looking equipment. with the exception of my two wheelchairs there is no way to "match" and make it look like it is supposed to be there. i am putting a chair lift in my basement. the track is white and the seat cushions are sky blue. that is not even close to the colors of basically what is going to be a man cave. this is really the one and only thing i hate about being disable. I want a house that looks like a house. not something that looks like a hospital. one of the first videos i watched about home modifications said that it is a better idea to hide the fact that you are disabled because then you don't stick out for theft and vandalism.

[Doug]

Sorry to say that not everything that works for us looks great. First start out with the concept of FUNCTION over fashion. After you have everything where you can do what you need to. Then start to work out ways to beautify it. You need a handle on your toilet seat to transfer ok…after you work out how big and where to mount it. You start with what works for now, and then start looking for a stylish replacement. The lift can be painted and seat covered. Try to not stress over the look of your living aids as much because there is way more to life then what your room looks like. At the end of the day a $200, 000.00 car serves the same purpose as a $2,000.00 one.

[mellowgator]

i was able to build a beautiful accessible home.

my kitchen has 3 counter heights and the ovens have doors that swing to the side and i can roll under the sink. the cabinets are beautiful and yet functional. i chose dish drawers and i have tons of cabinet space at my lever. i even have extra refrigrator drawers that i can easily access.

i use a shower wheel-chair. so i designed my bath with 2 counter heights one for my ab husband and one for me. i have a space to roll under and cabinets that hide the pipes under the sink. i have a higher than normal toilet that looks good and i have a huge roll in shower with a handheld shower head along with a rain shower and a regular shower. the shower was planned so it's open and it has no lip just a gentle slope. my grab rail is antiqued brass and matches the faucets and door knobs.

so in answer to you. yes it's possible to have a functional beautiful home. just find a good tile layer and good cabinet person who will listen to your needs.

good luck,

karen

Edited by mellowgator, 26 May 2011 - 05:51 PM.

[mellowgator]

Doug, on 26 May 2011 - 04:13 PM, said:

Sorry to say that not everything that works for us looks great. First start out with the concept of FUNCTION over fashion. After you have everything where you can do what you need to. Then start to work out ways to beautify it. You need a handle on your toilet seat to transfer ok…after you work out how big and where to mount it. You start with what works for now, and then start looking for a stylish replacement. The lift can be painted and seat covered. Try to not stress over the look of your living aids as much because there is way more to life then what your room looks like. At the end of the day a $200, 000.00 car serves the same purpose as a $2,000.00 one.

this is such a guy answer.

[Millard]

mellowgator, on 26 May 2011 - 06:15 PM, said:

Doug, on 26 May 2011 - 04:13 PM, said:

Sorry to say that not everything that works for us looks great. First start out with the concept of FUNCTION over fashion. After you have everything where you can do what you need to. Then start to work out ways to beautify it. You need a handle on your toilet seat to transfer ok…after you work out how big and where to mount it. You start with what works for now, and then start looking for a stylish replacement. The lift can be painted and seat covered. Try to not stress over the look of your living aids as much because there is way more to life then what your room looks like. At the end of the day a $200, 000.00 car serves the same purpose as a $2,000.00 one.

this is such a guy answer.

Hi MG,

Tomsov is a guy! (Joking)

Hello Tomsov, I used to be the same way. I wanted everything to look like I was an AB. After a few years, I decided I didn't really give a crap what people thought...I was going to make it very comfortable for me.

I found out my city had a block grant for home improvements and I qualified. I got ramps put in, modified my bathroom with higher sinks and counters I could get up and modified my bathroom with a 4' X 8' roll in shower. My hallway was widened so a large power chair can navigate through it. If thieves see this as an easy target, they first have to get by three dogs followed by a 38 special (wife's) and a 9 mm semi-automatic. (mine)

Good luck with your man (bat) cave!

[xxm]

You need one of these and a cushion for your shower chair .


I'll never put a "medical" chair in my holly place.

Isn't it stylish ?

Rudy

Edited by xxm, 30 May 2011 - 05:06 PM.

[cstarbuckwv]

I live in WV, and have medicaid only for insurance. Here you only get one chair,electric chair/scooter etc every 5-7 years. I have 3 years left and am in dire need of a scooter as I am a housewife and have 2 sons in spite of not being able to walk. I am trying to raise money (https://www.wepay.com/group/view/56678)(not spam just showing what I am Attempting to do, sigh, but I don't have much faith in that. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it, I am going to put up donation jars in stores but I know that's just penny's at a time. Thanks for listening.

Christine W.

[goose]

Welcome Christine

Sorry to hear your having chair problems. Do you belong to a church? If so ,they would be willing to help you raise the money or help in any way they can. Sometime local organizations are looking for projects or willing to have a fund raiser for you. Men's clubs love a good reason to cook BBQ. Even check with the goodwill or thift stores. Let the manager know what you're looking for and they can keep an eye out for you. They may even check other stores for you. Get the word out...word of mouth makes a hugh difference ...here in the south.

Hope this doesn't sound morbid but check with Hospice. Often family members are willing to give away items that are no longer needed.

Good luck!

[Doug]

mellowgator, on 26 May 2011 - 05:49 PM, said:

i was able to build a beautiful accessible home.

my kitchen has 3 counter heights and the ovens have doors that swing to the side and i can roll under the sink. the cabinets are beautiful and yet functional. i chose dish drawers and i have tons of cabinet space at my lever. i even have extra refrigrator drawers that i can easily access.

i use a shower wheel-chair. so i designed my bath with 2 counter heights one for my ab husband and one for me. i have a space to roll under and cabinets that hide the pipes under the sink. i have a higher than normal toilet that looks good and i have a huge roll in shower with a handheld shower head along with a rain shower and a regular shower. the shower was planned so it's open and it has no lip just a gentle slope. my grab rail is antiqued brass and matches the faucets and door knobs.

so in answer to you. yes it's possible to have a functional beautiful home. just find a good tile layer and good cabinet person who will listen to your needs.

good luck,

karen

I am sure you were able to with some SERIOUS money invested but thoes on a tight budget and no friends in the remodeling buisness can't afford custom work of that scope. I just had my bathroom and kitchen done with low cost flooring and stock height counters and it still cost a mind numbing amount. It would be great but adding custom cabinets would have doubled or trippled the cost.

so I guess yes with enough money you can have what ever you want but if your income is low then its function over fashion

Edited by Doug, 02 February 2012 - 06:13 PM.

[Ches]

I too remodeled a house to suit me, I went the "Universal Design" route instead of the strictly crippled. My contractor was 6'3", I'm a t4/t5 and I watch my niece so much we decided to include her in the design.. My house was built to suit all 3 of us, safely.. and it does.

You wouldnt know a wheelchair user lived in my house unless you had a trained eye. Aside from a bath bench in the walk-in shower and some rails to accommodate the marble floors in that shower, there arent any "signs"

Mellow I would love to see your kitchen sometime if you have pictures anywhere online! Im a huge fan of interior design and architecture.. your kitchen sounds like it may be "Universal" as well, which perks my ears up!

Doug, I dont think its ALL a matter of finances...I think some ppl honestly just lack the creativity to think outside their crip box. There's plenty of AB equipment that works well for various levels of disabilities..just takes some shopping around n imagination.

[Doug]

Ches, on 02 February 2012 - 06:57 PM, said:

I too remodeled a house to suit me, I went the "Universal Design" route instead of the strictly crippled. My contractor was 6'3", I'm a t4/t5 and I watch my niece so much we decided to include her in the design.. My house was built to suit all 3 of us, safely.. and it does.

You wouldnt know a wheelchair user lived in my house unless you had a trained eye. Aside from a bath bench in the walk-in shower and some rails to accommodate the marble floors in that shower, there arent any "signs"

Mellow I would love to see your kitchen sometime if you have pictures anywhere online! Im a huge fan of interior design and architecture.. your kitchen sounds like it may be "Universal" as well, which perks my ears up!

Doug, I dont think its ALL a matter of finances...I think some ppl honestly just lack the creativity to think outside their crip box. There's plenty of AB equipment that works well for various levels of disabilities..just takes some shopping around n imagination.

This is true I'm just use to having to make things work for my self and the whole non functioning hands is my biggest drawback along with the need for over head lifts to be able to transfer by my self. I would love to ditch the hiddious lifts and be able to just hop from my chair to where ever but its not possible. So I have no choise but to deal with the look thus my position of function over fashion. Other then my lifts, bed, and shower chair my home looks great. I just got my dining room bar set up instead of a table and chairs hogging the middle I went with a 8 ft bar with folding stools so I can just roll right under and it looks great! Ill try to shrink the pics down and post my home before and after.

[SpencerNY1]

http://www.multimediadesigns.com/
complete home control with your voice

[MikeFatty]

Ches, on 02 February 2012 - 06:57 PM, said:

I too remodeled a house to suit me, I went the "Universal Design" route instead of the strictly crippled. My contractor was 6'3", I'm a t4/t5 and I watch my niece so much we decided to include her in the design.. My house was built to suit all 3 of us, safely.. and it does.

You wouldnt know a wheelchair user lived in my house unless you had a trained eye. Aside from a bath bench in the walk-in shower and some rails to accommodate the marble floors in that shower, there arent any "signs"

Mellow I would love to see your kitchen sometime if you have pictures anywhere online! Im a huge fan of interior design and architecture.. your kitchen sounds like it may be "Universal" as well, which perks my ears up!

Doug, I dont think its ALL a matter of finances...I think some ppl honestly just lack the creativity to think outside their crip box. There's plenty of AB equipment that works well for various levels of disabilities..just takes some shopping around n imagination.

i am verry interested to see the way both you and melow have adapted your homes. i am getting ready to invest some money in making my kitchen counter tops a little more height friendly. and the sink a lil easier to use for me than it is. whenever i do the dishes my arms get sore from having to rest my arms on the front lip of the sink constantly in order to even use it proficiently. i have this vision in my head i want to see realized cause i love to cook. always have always will. and i want everything to look normal but functional at the same time. likewise in the bathroom i want to change everything. i was thinking instead of having a chair making a removable cushion on a built in tile bench in an all tile shower with a floor that has no lip or edge to get over. i hate the look of my shower bench. its bulky, goddy and ugly and people have to move it to take a shower themselves. i want to revamp everything. lol like doug i want everything to look nice and normal and not hospital like. ive got mu bedroom sorted out really nice. my dad and i took my desk and made it one i can use with ease. able to roll under without scraping my knees =) and my tv hangs over it nice. i havent seen any pics of bathrooms or kitchens like i imagine online. so i get back to the main point which is i would love to see your home so i can see if maybe its better than what im thinking =)

Edited by MikeFatty, 17 April 2012 - 06:23 AM.

[Ches]

Your idea for a shower sounds pretty realistic.. My only concern with built in shower benches (other than the obvious hard surface) is the the back rest. Make the bench too small and you are stuck sitting STRAIGHT UP.. and I know from hotel experience, having a wall right behind me makes it hard to wash my hair without worrying about falling face first!

I've got pics of my bathroom around here somewhere. I dont have any kitchen pics up, but I can change that for ya!

Here's bathroom thread, http://www.apparelyz...__fromsearch__1

Edited by Ches, 17 April 2012 - 05:10 PM.